MetaFilter posts tagged with afghannationalarmyhttp://www.metafilter.com/tags/afghannationalarmy
Posts tagged with 'afghannationalarmy' at MetaFilter.Thu, 13 Sep 2012 22:49:47 -0800Thu, 13 Sep 2012 22:49:47 -0800en-ushttp://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss60There's still a war going onhttp://www.metafilter.com/119919/Theres%2Dstill%2Da%2Dwar%2Dgoing%2Don
<a href="http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2012/08/afghanistan-violence-helmand/">August</a> was one of the <a href="http://afpak.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2012/08/15/attacks_across_afghanistan_cause_deadliest_day_for_civilians_this_year">deadliest</a> months in Afghanistan, for both <a href="http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia/2012/08/201281412411098743.html">civilians</a> and soldiers. The death toll was increased by so-called <a href="http://www.csmonitor.com/World/terrorism-security/2012/0817/Number-of-NATO-forces-killed-by-Afghan-recruits-hits-new-high">'green-on-blue'</a> attacks by members of the <a href="http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia/2012/08/201281071945758235.html">Afghan National Army</a> and <a href="http://afpak.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2012/08/17/afghan_policeman_kills_2_us_troops_in_latest_insider_shooting">police</a> forces on <a href="http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Latest-News-Wires/2012/0819/Another-NATO-soldier-killed-by-Afghan-comrade-in-arms">ISAF</a> <a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2012/08/29/world/asia/afghanistan-troops-killed/index.html">and</a> <a href="http://newamericafoundation.github.com/security/maps/afghanistan.html">US</a> forces. These <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/24/world/asia/afghan-troops-killing-colleagues-in-greater-numbers.html?_r=1">attacks</a> have <a href="http://atwar.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/08/23/insider-attacks-target-afghans-and-foreign-forces/">been</a> steadily <a href="http://afpak.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2012/08/24/attacks_by_afghan_security_forces_on_comrades_increasing">rising</a>, with no <a href="http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2012/08/allen-green-on-blue/">solution</a> or <a href="http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Latest-News-Wires/2012/0820/US-general-talks-with-Afghan-officials-about-attacks-on-NATO-personnel">end</a> in sight. President <a href="http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/NH17Df05.html">Karzai</a> blames <a href="http://afpak.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2012/08/23/karzai_blames_insider_attacks_on_infiltration_by_foreign_spy_agencies">'infiltrators,'</a> but there is <a href="http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2012/09/2012910101359505641.html">little evidence of this.</a> <a href="http://smallwarsjournal.com/blog/training-the-afghan-national-army">Training the ANA</a> is a cornerstone of US withdrawal plans. <a href="http://atwar.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/08/21/calculating-the-human-cost-of-the-war-in-afghanistan/">Calculating</a> the number of dead in war can be difficult.
<a href="http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Asia-South-Central/2012/0814/Afghanistan-war-Can-the-US-gains-last">Can US Gains Last</a>? Afghans are <a href="http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Asia-South-Central/2012/0822/Why-Afghans-are-pushing-for-democratic-elections-soon">pushing for elections</a>, developing a <a href="http://afpak.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2012/08/16/can_civil_society_save_afghanistan">'civil society,'</a> while the US engages <a href="http://afpak.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2012/08/16/finding_common_ground_in_afghanistan">other world powers</a>. <a href="http://www.thenation.com/article/169415/how-not-reconstruct-iraq-afghanistan-or-america">Reconstruction</a> often can go <a href="http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia/2012/07/2012730181354495196.html">awry</a>, with waste, fraud and corruption.
<a href="http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/137696/stephen-hadley-and-john-d-podesta/the-right-way-out-of-afghanistan">The Right Way Out Of Afghanistan</a>, with <a href="http://www.foreignaffairs.com/discussions/news-and-events/hadley-and-podesta-discuss-the-right-way-out-of-afghanistan">discussion</a>. Some are skeptical that <a href="http://afpak.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2012/08/06/keeping_each_other_honest_in_afghanistan_will_it_work"> it will work</a>, and others see <a href="http://www.guernicamag.com/daily/tom-engelhardt-mission-failure-afghanistan/">mission failure</a>.
Despite <a href="http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia/2012/07/201271763020255651.html">riots</a>, Pakistan has reopened its border to <a href="http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia/2012/07/201273112612659369.html">US convoys</a>, to <a href="http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Backchannels/2012/0731/Why-the-Taliban-are-happy-that-the-US-and-Pakistan-patched-things-up">smiles all around</a>. Pakistan is still dealing with <a href="http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/NH07Df02.html">Afghan refugees</a>, regional rival <a href="http://afpak.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2012/07/30/pakistans_sticky_wicket_the_india_saudi_link">India</a>, and the rise of <a href="http://afpak.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2012/08/14/the_quiet_rise_of_the_quetta_shura">the Quetta Shura</a>. Pakistani bureaucrats have a history of being the <a href="http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/137713/ilhan-niaz/pakistans-briefcase-warriors">right man for the wrong job</a>, with Americans no <a href="http://ricks.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2012/08/24/the_seven_steps_of_american_officials_dealing_with_the_puzzles_of_pakistan ">better off</a>.
The Taliban is still a major force in the region, in Afghanistan and across the border in Pakistan - particularly <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waziristan">Waziristan</a> (where the <a href="http://ricks.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2012/07/17/waziristan_v_it_can_even_tell_us_a_bit_about_our_current_coin_debate">British</a> had their own <a href="http://ricks.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2012/07/17/waziristan_iii_insights_into_the_nature_of_the_formidable_pashtun_foe">problems</a>), and the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federally_Administered_Tribal_Areas">Federally Administered Tribal Areas</a> (FATA). The Taliban have recently become more active in Pakistan, claiming <a href="http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia/2012/08/201281765122731439.html">victory</a>, opposing a <a href="http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/NH18Df03.html">planned offensive</a>, even <a href="http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Asia-South-Central/2012/0816/Taliban-attack-Pakistani-air-base-ahead-of-reported-military-operation">storming</a> an <a href="http://afpak.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2012/08/16/militants_storm_key_pakistan_air_force_base">air base</a> killing <a href="http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia/2012/08/2012815234651368597.html"> several</a> soldiers. Pakistan and Afghanistan are uneasily <a href="http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Latest-News-Wires/2012/0812/Pakistan-grants-Afghan-officials-access-to-a-top-Taliban-leader">cooperating</a> against an enemy that crosses their border. The US, though, <a href="http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2012/07/taliban-leaders/"> has no idea who Taliban leaders are</a>. The Taliban are in it for <a href="http://atwar.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/07/11/an-interview-the-talibans-long-view-2">the long haul.</a>
This summer has been <a href="http://afpak.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2012/09/12/an_afghan_summer_of_revolt">the summer of revolt</a>, with <a href="http://afpak.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2012/07/26/the_once_and_future_civil_war_in_afghanistan"> factional fighting</a> and <a href="http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Asia-South-Central/2012/0815/Is-the-Taliban-wearing-out-its-welcome-in-Afghanistan">disillustionment with the Taliban</a>. Even 11 years after 9/11, <a href="http://atwar.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/09/11/eleven-years-after-911-afghanistan-still-matters/">Afghanistan still matters</a>.
In the United States, after <a href="http://reason.com/blog/2012/09/11/afghanistan-11-years-later">eleven years</a>, it is the new <a href="http://www.denverpost.com/nationworld/ci_21367648/lt-p-gt-americans-tune-out-afghan-war">forgotten war</a>. Neither <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/comment/2012/08/have-obama-and-romney-forgotten-afghanistan.html">presidential candidate</a> has <a href="http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Backchannels/2012/0821/Remember-Afghanistan-The-war-makes-rare-appearance-in-Obama-Romney-race">made</a> the <a href="http://reason.com/blog/2012/08/21/its-tuesday-and-there-is-a-war-going-on">ongoing war</a> a central point of their campaigns. 9/11 may have made <a href="http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2012/09/democrats-republicans-barack-obama-mitt-romney-911">Democrats more like Republicans</a>, however.
<a href="http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2012/09/were-still-war-photo-day-september-13-2012">We're still at war.</a> tag:metafilter.com,2012:site.119919Thu, 13 Sep 2012 22:49:47 -0800the man of twists and turnsOur man in Helmandhttp://www.metafilter.com/64380/Our%2Dman%2Din%2DHelmand
<a href="http://www.fromthefrontline.co.uk/blogs/index.php?blog=2">From the frontline, Afghanistan.</a> <a href="http://www.fromthefrontline.co.uk/blogs/index.php?blog=2&title=afghanistan_and_the_grenadier_guards&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1">Vaughan Smith</a> is spending time <a href="http://www.fromthefrontline.co.uk/blogs/index.php?blog=2&title=fighting_in_sangin_afghanistan&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1">in the thick of it</a> with his old regiment, the Grenadier Guards, on their tour of Helmand (he also looks in on other British Army units and the <a href="http://www.fromthefrontline.co.uk/blogs/index.php?blog=2&title=title&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1">Afghan National Army they are mentoring</a>). An <a href="http://www.fromthefrontline.co.uk/blogs/index.php?blog=2&title=peter_and_the_gandamac_lodge_1&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1">old friend in Kabul is pessimistic </a>about keeping the Taliban at bay permanently, but <a href="http://www.fromthefrontline.co.uk/blogs/index.php?blog=2&title=gereshk_evening_patrol_and_fighting&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1">troops at a forward operating base are business-like or even cheerful</a> despite regular contact with Taliban fighters. tag:metafilter.com,2007:site.64380Mon, 03 Sep 2007 08:23:18 -0800Abiezer